The third, and final installment of playlist notes/closing remarks

Okay, here's the last of the playlist notes and my closing remarks. My attempts at self-deprecating humor kind of flow throughout the whole list as not many get my tastes in music. I've no problem with more than a fair amount of commercial stuff, but I do like musical underdogs quite a bit. The person I compiled this list of tunes for never heard the tunes, never saw the notes...or the quiz at the end. Thanks to all of you who asked me to post this stuff and to all of you who commented on how nice the gesture would've been. I hope you enjoy reading this stuff as much as I enjoyed it when I wrote about it - all off the top of my head, just wanting to see if I could actually fire off reasons for liking the songs.

1. White Trash Wife – Exene Cervenka. I love it when country music takes humorous liberties. Boy does this one ever do that. There had to be a country song with this kind of title and it just had to kick serious ass. This one does that too.
2. If You Want Me To Stay – Etta James. Oh I love what she does with this, one of my favorite Sly Stone tunes. The piano intro, then the bass and I've never heard a drummer come in so softly and move things the way they move here. This song makes me forget, albeit briefly, that I'm a lousy dancer. Then I remember, forget again...it's a cycle.
3. Coffee Monkey – The Bottle Rockets. This is a funny coffee song. I don't like my coffee black, but there are times when I sing this song in the morning, not terribly well, but yes...
4. Lily-A-Passion – Grant Lee Phillips. This guy writes some seriously beautiful songs, he just DOES. I love the ways he knocks some of them way over the fences – like this one.
5. Dirty Secret – Grant Lee Phillips. Oh this is one seriously pretty song. Songs this well crafted make me feel like I'm being held and all I should do is just shut up and listen. This is SO beautiful and completely tender, gentle. It reminds me of being w/the right person and not doing or saying anything, but just knowing that something's right and there's nothing you can do about it, but be. I don't know how to explain it really – I guess kind of...you're here, I'm here – and that is exactly where both of us should be. Maybe I should just say APPRECIATION...deep, deep appreciation. Maybe I should stop rambling?
6. The Trouble With Poets – Peter Mulvey. I love this one, particularly the opening line. Delivery is important and it's near perfection here. I like that someone thought to write like he did here.
7. Somethings Wrong – The Figgs. Short. Sweet. To the point. Rock. Yup. It just works sometimes.
8. Midnight Man – James Gang. This is one of the prettiest ballads I've ever heard. I actually got to play it with one of my favorite people, Tom. Sometimes what seems so incredibly simple is actually not. Hard to explain, but there aren't too many times I wanted to be so completely in touch with a song as badly as I did this one – I just wasn't giving myself any wiggle room. The middle part where the woman sings? That lady is actually a receptionist at a local vet clinic that Tom takes his dogs to. Useless trivia, I know...but I remember being blown away by how T nailed every line in that tune onstage that night – even the female part. I remember thinking 'wow, Tom brought it....I should never, ever have a microphone in front of my face again' – nor should I sing things absurd, such as a Jack Daniels love song....but I will for someone...if she's really pretty. Uh, wink. Have I been forgiven for that one yet?
9. This Is Where You Ain't – Glenn Tilbrook. I only heard this song a few weeks ago when I asked my friend Dianne's husband if he was familiar with Tilbrook's post-Squeeze stuff. “I am, and I will see to it that you are too.” I love this one, but then I really like Glenn Tilbrook and Squeeze. I read a review once that called Squeeze/Tilbrook 'intellectual rock'...hmm, then what am I doing with it? Smiling when I hear it, getting it, that's what. I laugh because this is my favorite way for a drummer to enter the house of song – it's like knocking and opening the door in the same instant walking right in, because you know you're welcome and it's cool not to wait for anyone to open the door or yell, “c'mon in”...what a great thought, makes me feel wonderful.
10. Chuck E.'s In Love – Rickie Lee Jones. I know it's dated, and while it's not classic like say, Sinatra...it moves me. The drum track doesn't hurt, but I'm not about to bore you w/my thoughts on that...I may have none of your favorable attention by now. Have I asked you if I'm still in your phone? The more I write, the more I wonder. Hope so.
11. Ananas – James Taylor. This was the first James Taylor song I had to have the minute I heard it, in a long time. This drummer never did anything but floor me, but never mind that. I love this song. The first time I heard it post-Nashville, I cried...shocking the living daylights out of me. I thought something to the effect of, 'oh COME ON dude....water under the bridge, might be a good time to sack up'. I just love JT when he hits really hard. I like how I knew that day that from that point forward, after the self pep talk, this song would always make me smile.
12. Floppy Shoes – Robert Earl Keen. This one may give you an idea of what I meant when I said under the radar country sat well with me. The first time I heard it, I thought how much I would've liked to nail a tune like this back in the day. It just sounds fun and I was always a huge sucker for guitar lines like this. I know, nerdy musical snob. Did you know I can cook? Yes, I'm changing the subject...
13. Mr. Pitiful – The Commitments. Not sure who wrote this old R&B gem. They're taking some serious liberties here w/this one, really, really rushing it. Not sure this one sounds its best at this tempo, but somehow the feeling that they're all in a hurry together works for me – it's kind of funny and more than I love music, I love to laugh...especially in subtle ways that don't always have to be shared with many, but rather one if any. Like an inside joke.Sounds odd to say it, but this is kind of like being rushed to bed on Christmas Eve as a child, because someone has work to do...Mr. Pitiful? Soon I shall banish you....shoe! Go! NOW!
14. Soul Shoe – Graham Parker. This is a GP gem. I can't recall if he did this one live when I saw him on a solo tour, but it would've needed a band. GP at his best, and he's always something I have to think about – this is a rather complex enjoyment of what I suppose is rather rough, raw stuff...I smile because there's more here than there appears to be. If I could dance, it might make me want to.
15. Go To The Woods – Dar Williams. How this woman isn't a better known country star is beyond me, really it is. She's SO good and this one just kills me. In the mid section where the band stops for a beat while she comes in with this AWESOME line - “...and if I was your memory...” I LOVE that! What a conceptual thought smack upside the head. Truth is I loved that line SO much that I kept thinking of all the ways I could write on that concept...they seemed endless that morning – pre-coffee no less. So I hastened the business of the hound that morning and headed in to write. So much room in that line. You and I had just started talking quite a bit around the same time, so one thing I did with this was for you my friend. Relax, it's airing out right now, I suppose in a kind of limbo. I'm not much of a “look what I did” kinda guy when it comes to my writing, but if someone reads what I wrote and they get it – I like it. A lot. Sometimes I just have to write and not give much or any thought to things, but rather just let them flow, then see what I have in front of me. Sometimes my shredder thanks me for this. I love this song, which just screams to me that she should be way more popular, but I really, really love that line. It's airing out – I'm not sure that it wouldn't be taken as a sales pitch and the fact is, it's really not one. I get how it could be taken that way, but I think I nailed.... ...you'll see it someday most likely. I couldn't really show it to anyone without you seeing it. Remember me? I'm in your phone right?
16. Golden Days – The Damnwells. Wow do I ever love this one. Achingly pretty, tender, gentle and strong – no matter what.I love the lyrics “fall-apart confetti come on cry right on my sleeve”...I hope I've felt, said or written at least one thing that hits someone the way that line does me....to me this is being held by a song. Gives me goosebumps all over my skinny arms and both increases and threatens to take my inner warmth right outta my heart it does. It's almost like a ballad that doesn't want to be a ballad. Oops, 'another nerdy musical snob quip. Sorry. I so hope you'll forgive these.
17. Green & Dumb – Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers. Perhaps the best illustration of just why I love under the radar country -that is if you remember me saying that. Oh boy does this song ever send me and this guy can sing! This song is so beautiful it makes me forget that I can't sing, because this song is so beautiful I'm simply incapable of hearing it without at least mouthing the lyrics. Wicked beautiful is this one, the time signature helps...but this guy just sings the daylights out of this wonderfully warm song. I love everything about this song, title, intros/outtros/verse/chorus/bridge....
18. Our Love Would Be Much Better (if I gave a damn about you) – Dag. This was a post-Nashville, post-breakup trip to a record store after I moved back to Ohio. “The HELL????....I thought when I heard the chorus come over the store speakers. “Who IS this?!” I said to the guy behind the counter. The moment he told me I asked him where it was, had it in my hand like two seconds later, which seemed like a long time. I didn't care if the other songs were crap (they weren't) I had something to do with this tune. What was it? Sing that line at anyone, anything,any place that ever hurt me, and while car dancing most likely – and I'm a very good car dancer, though not a single soul knows this. I may not admit this is if you tell anyone I said as much – if I'm still in your phone after you've read all this, heard anything you liked....well, we can negotiate the car dancing thing. The thought of thinking of anyone who has at one time or another laid an unfair amount of disappointment on me while I car dance and sing that line is flippin' hilarious to me. I’m telling you it WORKS, and it's actually a lot of fun, not for an entire day mind you, but for that brief moment when you sing that line in defiance of anything or anyone that has hurt you, it's fun. Try it, you'll see. Then you can thank me. It doesn't have to be a love thang – it can be a work thang, anything. Just sing to that thing that has hurt you that you don't give a damn – by the way, it's ok if you actually do give a damn – but don't let on with that while you're singing that line to whomever or whatever you're singing it to, delivery is so important here. Car dancing is optional, and nearly always amusing – I'm just saying, it might help. Check it out.

At this time, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my off-the-top-off-my-head thoughts on why these songs have been helping lift spirits a lot these days. Since it's suspected that your spirits are in need of more lifting than mine currently, I hope at least a few of these help – but please don't feel you have to smoke me out on this – any of it, ok? Please fill out the short questionaire below:

1. The music on this playlist was: (check all appropriate selections)
   a) a bit like listening to a neighbor's wind chimes and hating every second of it
   b) wonderful, moving and at times enlightening
   c) combined with your insights & the implied kindest of thoughts thereof, it rocked my world 
   d) help me out here...where exactly do I know you from?

2. listening to much of this music, and reading your thoughts on the content makes me:
   a) mildly bothered that I can't place just where it is I know you from
   b) Happier than I feel I should tell you at this point in our friendship
   c) mildly curious as to what might be wrong with you
   d) wondering where you've been up to now

3. Thinking about the fact that you wrote all this for me, and me alone, makes me feel:
   a) like drinking
   b) like drinking more
   c) like giving you the longest hug you've had in your entire life, but only if that's ok
   d) that it's time I trimmed down my contact list on my phone
   e) aw, that's nice...

4. Who would you want to know about any of the content, musical or written?
   a) everyone who cared to listen, and I'd shout it from a mountain top
   b) not a soul after the level of cheese on the first choice for this question
   c) doesn't matter who knows...I know, you know – you know?

There you have it, _______. I've had times where people read stuff like this from me and say, “why and how exactly, do you have that kind of time on your hands?” - the thing is, stuff like this doesn't take much time for me, once I decide to just do it. There are times when I'd like to say things, but can't put a single sentence together, perhaps just as well, but it usually doesn't feel that way. Hope you see it for what it is – a sincere attempt at sharing in the hope that at least some of it helps you smile as you weather your storm. I meant what I said about this kind of pain having no business anywhere near you _____. I know that without a shadow of a doubt, and who wants that shadow following them around? Not I said Irish guy.